History

While the idea for a society devoted to the study of behavioural development emerged in 1957 at the XV International Congress of Psychology in Brussels, it was not established officially until May 31, 1969.

During the intervening 12 years, the idea was fostered by a group of European investigators who were conducting collaborative multi-national studies on somatic, social, and cognitive development.

Beginning in the mid- 1960s, this group convened a series of meetings to discuss the objectives, constitution, and program activities for the new society, which was founded at the University of Bonn, 1969. Since 1971, the ISSBD has held 25 Biennial Meetings on six continents: twelve in Europe, six in North America, three in Asia, two in Australia, one in South America, and one in Africa. Approximately 200 people attended the first meeting in Nijmegen, the Netherlands; while the most recent meetings have attracted more than 1,000 participants. Biennial Meetings of the International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development have been held as follows:

Among the Society’s proudest achievements are the workshops and special conferences that the ISSBD has supported with expertise and partial funding. Over its 50-year history, the ISSBD has sponsored over 60 regional workshops to advance its mission to include and engage a global community of developmental scholars, including workshops in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Australasia, and Southeast Asia. The ISSBD has repeatedly proven itself to be an effective medium for scientific exchange. Its influence can be seen through increased investigator interest in cross-cultural and cross-national studies of behavioural development and through the numerous international research efforts originating from ISSBD meetings and workshops

ISSBD Past Presidents